Combination lint removing, tape dispensing, and personal grooming device



. May 14, 1963 w. H. BUCHSBAUM COMBINATION LINT REMOVING, TAPE DISPENSING, AND

PERSONAL GROOMING DEVICE Filed May 25 1961 I 1' ll u l.

United States Patent This invention relates generally to devices for removmg lint from clothing and the like, and more particularly to a device of the class described which provides for the dispensing of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, and

for performing a number of personal grooming operations.

While it is known to provide a number of articles and instruments for maintaining clothing and the like in good condition, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide one which will combine a number of these functions in a compact and convenient manner.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a device in which pressure-sensitive adhesive tape may be dispensed therefrom for use, and/or retained thereon for use in removing lint from clothing articles or the like.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that provision is made for containing various articles which may be used in conjunction with the device itself or in connection with sewing or repairing clothing articles.

Another feature of the invention is that the present device may be manufactured by injection molding so that they may be made in large quantity at low cost to have a consequent wide distribution and use.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a preferred embodiment of the invention in a position of use.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view as seen from the left of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view as seen from the right of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, partly in section, with the tape removed, as might be seen from above FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded fragmentary vertical sectional view as seen from the plane 5-5 on FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view, partly in section, as might be seen from the left of FIGURE 3, with the tape removed.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view comparable in scale generally to FIGURES 5 and 6, but showing a modification.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a body assembly 12; a tape roll support element 14; a plurality of tape belt supporting elements 16; closure means 18; brush means 20; and polishing means 22.

The body assembly 12 preferably comprises a pair of plates 24 and 26 which are connected to the main tape roll support element 14. The element 14 is preferably in the form of two members 140 and 14b, connected to plates 24 and 26, respectively. Members 14a and 14b are axially aligned when device 10 is in assembled condition and are circular in section. They are of a diameter to provide a sliding fit serving as a mandrel for a roll 28 of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 30. The roll 28 may be of the usual type, generally available as a standard item, with the adhesive surface 32 facing inward.

M 3,089,170 1C Patented May 1 1963 The tape belt supporting elements are preferably in the form of four hollow cylinders 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d, and are connected to plate 24 perpendicular thereto. The open ends of the cylinders 16a to 16d, inclusive, when the device is assembled, are engaged in correspondingly positioned counterbores 34 where they may be frictionally retained thereby integrating the plate 26 with the balance of the assembly. The assembly is further maintained in assembled condition by the closure means 18 in the form of plugs composed of material which is preferably slightly resilient so that such plugs :act as stoppers for the containers formed'in the hollow interiors of the element 16. As shown in FIGURE 4, the containers formed in the elements 16a and 16dmay carry such items as straight pins 36, needles 38, safety pins 40, and spool-s of thread 42. The remaining containers formed in the containers 16b and 160 may contain other articles (not shown) used in personal grooming, such as spot removing sticks, a vial of cleaning fluid, grease absorbing powder, and the like.

Secured to the plate 24 is the brush means 20 and the brush means can be used conveniently in many cleaning operations, taking into account that lint and similar foreign material which the brush means will not remove can be picked up by the adhesive surface 32 on the tape 30.

'Secu'red to the plate 26 is the polishing means 22 which is especially useful in producing a desirable finish on metal buttons and the like.

The tape cutter of knife element 48 is of irregular configuration best seen in FIGURE 5 where it will be seen that the same is provided with a pair of lugs 50 and 51 which are adapted to be retained in the notches 52 and 53 in the plates 24 and 26, respectively. The cutting edge 46 is angularly disposed and serrated to facilitate severing the tape 30. If desired, the lug 50 may be permanently connected to the plate 24.

With the device in assembled condition, and having a tape roll 28 in place upon the support element 14, the free end 44 of tape 30 is pulled out of the device and above the cutting edge 46 of the tape cut-ofi knife element 48, a distance sufficient to provide for an annulus of tape outside around the elements 16 with an overlap, so that the inner surface of the tape may be adhered to the exposed portion of the surface 32 lying between the elements 16a and 16b.

Next when the surface 60 of belt 31 (FIGURE 2) is placed upon a surface 70 to be cleaned of lint, and the device moved in the direction of the arrow 75, the belt 31 formed by the tape 30 will move in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIGURE 1), causing the tape to tighten between the roll and the annular belt, and be pressed taut against the cutting edge 46 to sever the tape 30 at edge 46.

After the so formed annular tape belt 31 is free of connection with the roll 28, the same may have endless travel as the device 10 is moved over the surface to be cleaned of lint and the like. The belt 31 is subject to some distortion and stretching as it is pressed against a surface to be cleaned, and in order to accommodate for this and provide adequate contact, the lower edges 25 and 27 of the plates 24 and 26 are made concave.

Whenever the belt 31 is charged with lint or soil, it may be manually ripped off and a new belt formed as outlined above.

Turning to the modification shown in FIGURE 7, for the purpose of avoiding needless repetition, certain of the parts corresponding to those previously described, are given the same reference characters with the addition of the prefix 2.

This modification differs from the preferred embodiment, described above, in two principal respects. First,

the tape cut oif knife element 248 is in two portions, each one integral with the respective plate 224 or 226 which supports it, so that when the device 210 is assembled, the cutting edge portions 246 will align to perform their function. Second, the brush means 220 and the polishing means 222 are adapted to be detachably attached to the plates 224 and 226, respectively, by snapping past the resilient retaining ledges 262 and 264.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

I claim:

1. A combination device comprising: a body including a plate; a plurality of tape-belt supporting elements connected to said plate, and about which an annularlyconnected piece of tape may travel; a tape roll support connected to saidbody and disposed inwardly of said tape-belt supporting elements; a roll of adhesive tape on said tape roll support; an annular belt of said tape having an exterior adhesive surface, said belt being slidably mounted on said tape-belt supporting elements for annular slidable movement thereabout; a tape cut-off knife element connected to said body and arranged generally transversely of the device, and having a cutting edge disposed between the tape roll support and one of said tape-belt supporting elements, and lying in the path of the tape extending between said roll and said tape belt; whereby, with the tape end adhesively connected to itself, movement of the belt in a direction to cause unwinding of the tape off of the tape roll support produces tension in the tape portion between the roll and the 1 said one of the tape-belt support elements to produce severance of the tape at said cutting edge in an automatic manner. a

2. A combination lint-removing, tape-dispensing, and personal grooming device, comprising: a body including a pair of plates; a plurality of hollow tape-belt supporting elements about which an annularly connected piece of tape may travel, said elements being perpendicularly arranged and interconnecting said plates, and having open ends; an annularly connected tape belt slidably mounted on said tape-belt supporting elements; a tape roll support connected to said body and disposed inwardly of said tape-belt supporting elements; a roll of tape on said tape roll support successive segments of which extend between said tape roll support and said tape belt; a tape cut-off knife element connected to said body and arranged generally transversely of the device, and having a cutting edge disposed between the tape roll support and one of said tape-belt suporting elements, and lying in the path of successive segments of tape extending between said roll and said tape belt; said tape having an outwardly extending adhesive surface; whereby, with the tape end adhesively connected to itself, movement of the belt in a direction to cause unwinding of the tape off of the tape roll support produces tension in the tape portion between the roll and the said one of the tape-belt support elements to produce severance of the tape at said cutting edge in an automatic manner; and means to close the said open ends of the hollow tape-belt supporting elements; whereby said hollow tape-belt supporting elements may act as containers for articles useful in conjunction with said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 817,073 Krandt Apr. 3, 1906 1 2,652,205 Balaban Sept. 15, 1953 2,673,042 Pritzinger Mar. 23, 1954 2,715,742 Coles Aug. 23, 1955 2,755,494 Bredin July 24, 1956 2,758,327 Kennon Aug. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 520,059 France Feb. 6, 1921 607,938 France Apr. 9, 1926 649,684 France Sept. 4, 1928 ta -Yaw, 

2. A COMBINATION LINT-REMOVING, TAPE-DISPENSING, AND PERSONAL GROOMING DEVICE, COMPRISING: A BODY INCLUDING A PAIR OF PLATES; A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW TAPE-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS ABOUT WHICH AN ANNULARLY CONNECTED PIECE OF TAPE MAY TRAVEL, SAID ELEMENTS BEING PERPENDICULARLY ARRANGED AND INTERCONNECTING SAID PLATES, AND HAVING OPEN ENDS; AN ANNULARLY CONNECTED TAPE BELT SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TAPE-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS; A TAPE ROLL SUPPORT CONNECTED TO SAID BODY AND DISPOSED INWARDLY OF SAID TAPE-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS; A ROLL OF TAPE ON SAID TAPE ROLL SUPPORT SUCCESSIVE SEGMENTS OF WHICH EXTEND BETWEEN SAID TAPE ROLL SUPPORT AND SAID TAPE BELT; A TAPE CUT-OFF KNIFE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO SAID BODY AND ARRANGED GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY OF THE DEVICE, AND HAVING A CUTTING EDGE DISPOSED BETWEEN THE TAPE ROLL SUPPORT AND ONE OF SAID TAPT-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS, AND LYING IN THE PATH OF SUCCESSIVE SEGMENTS OF TAPE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ROLL AND SAID TAPE BELT; SAID TAPE HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ADHESIVE SURFACE; WHEREBY, WITH THE TAPE END ADHESIVELY CONNECTED TO ITSELF, MOVEMENT OF THE BELT IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE UNWINDING OF THE TAPE OFF OF THE TAPE ROLL SUPPORT PRODUCES TENSION IN THE TAPE PORTION BETWEEN THE ROLL AND THE SAID ONE OF THE TAPE-BELT SUPPORT ELEMENTS TO PRODUCE SEVERANCE OF THE TAPE AT SAID CUTTING EDGE IN AN AUTOMATIC MANNER; AND MEANS TO CLOSE THE SAID OPEN ENDS OF THE HOLLOW TAPE-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS; WHEREBY SAID HOLLOW TAPE-BELT SUPPORTING ELEMENTS MAY ACT AS CONTAINERS FOR ARTICLES USEFUL IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID DEVICE. 